Atalanta was originally told by Ovid and Apollodorous. The story was written in the first or second century. It was originally told in a poem. The story is of a young girl who is brave and beautiful. She was left to die by her father when she was born, simply because she was a woman, and he wanted a man. Which may be why she was so brave.
The Life of Atalanta
After she was left to die by her father, a she bear found her, nursed her, and kept her warm. The she bear kept her alive until she was found by kind hunters. When the hunters found her, they took her back to live with them. She developed a hunter's life. One time, two centaurs spotted and pursued her. Instead of running from them, She shot and killed both of them with her bow.
Atalanta was also involved in the hunt of the Calydonian boar which was sent down to punish the king of Calydon. Many people were involved in this hunt, and almost all of them were men. A lot of the men didn't want Atalanta to come, but the king's son convinced them that she should go. When they found the boar, they surrounded it. The boar killed two people before anyone could react. Atalanta shot the boar with her bow and wounded it, which allowed the king's son to stab the boar in the heart which killed it. Technically, the king's son was the one who killed the boar, but he insisted that they give the skin of the boar to Atalanta.
Many men were mad that she got the credit for the hunt, and they insisted that she shouldn't get the skin. The king's son then killed two people, taking them completely off their guard. The queen then got very mad that her son. He had made a fool out of himself because of a woman. So, the queen took advantage of her son's curse. The curse was that his life was tied to a piece of brand and when it was burned he got sick and died once the brand was in ashes. The queen proceeded to throw the brand in the fire which killed her son. It is said that she hung herself in shame of what she did. The hunt of the boar ended in tragedy.
To Atalanta this was only the start of her adventures. She continued to take daring quests and become even more well known. She then discovered who her parents were. Atalanta went to live with them. Many men wanted to marry Atalanta, so, she told them whoever could beat her in a foot race she would marry. At the time no one on Earth could beat her. She had a great time beating whoever wished to marry her. One day a man by the name of Melanion he decided to use his brain more than his feet to win. He got three golden apples from Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The golden apples were said that anyone who saw them wanted them without question. When the race started Melanion was ready. Atalanta was in the lead right away, but Melanion rolled one of his apples in front of her. She stopped to pick it up. Then he repeated this with the other two apples so he won the race. Melanion won the race, and he was to marry Atalanta.
They had a son named Parthenopaeus. He was one of seven against Thebes. Atalanta and Melanion are said to have been turned into lions by either Zeus or Aphrodite. That is the story of Atalanta.
Extra Information
Atalanta- The brave young woman that this whole thing is about
Melanion- The smart man who married Atalanta
Meleager- The prince
Oeneus- The king
Althea- The queen
Aphrodite- The goddess of love
Zeus- The king of the gods; the god of the sky
Ovid and Apollodorous- The original authors of the story of Atalanta
Sources
Hamilton, Edith, and Monica Ferrell. "Atalanta." Mythology: Edith Hamilton. New York: Spark Pub., 2002. N. pag. Print.
Ovid, and Allen Mandelbaum. "Book X Atalanta." The Metamorphoses of Ovid. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1993. N. pag. Print.
Atalanta
by: Nick Johnson,
Zack Harper, and Chloe Smith
Intro
Atalanta was originally told by Ovid and Apollodorous. The story was written in the first or second century. It was originally told in a poem. The story is of a young girl who is brave and beautiful. She was left to die by her father when she was born, simply because she was a woman, and he wanted a man. Which may be why she was so brave.
The Life of Atalanta
After she was left to die by her father, a she bear found her, nursed her, and kept her warm. The she bear kept her alive until she was found by kind hunters. When the hunters found her, they took her back to live with them. She developed a hunter's life. One time, two centaurs spotted and pursued her. Instead of running from them, She shot and killed both of them with her bow.
Atalanta was also involved in the hunt of the Calydonian boar which was sent down to punish the king of Calydon. Many people were involved in this hunt, and almost all of them were men. A lot of the men didn't want Atalanta to come, but the king's son convinced them that she should go. When they found the boar, they surrounded it. The boar killed two people before anyone could react. Atalanta shot the boar with her bow and wounded it, which allowed the king's son to stab the boar in the heart which killed it. Technically, the king's son was the one who killed the boar, but he insisted that they give the skin of the boar to Atalanta.
Many men were mad that she got the credit for the hunt, and they insisted that she shouldn't get the skin. The king's son then killed two people, taking them completely off their guard. The queen then got very mad that her son. He had made a fool out of himself because of a woman. So, the queen took advantage of her son's curse. The curse was that his life was tied to a piece of brand and when it was burned he got sick and died once the brand was in ashes. The queen proceeded to throw the brand in the fire which killed her son. It is said that she hung herself in shame of what she did. The hunt of the boar ended in tragedy.
To Atalanta this was only the start of her adventures. She continued to take daring quests and become even more well known. She then discovered who her parents were. Atalanta went to live with them. Many men wanted to marry Atalanta, so, she told them whoever could beat her in a foot race she would marry. At the time no one on Earth could beat her. She had a great time beating whoever wished to marry her. One day a man by the name of Melanion he decided to use his brain more than his feet to win. He got three golden apples from Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The golden apples were said that anyone who saw them wanted them without question. When the race started Melanion was ready. Atalanta was in the lead right away, but Melanion rolled one of his apples in front of her. She stopped to pick it up. Then he repeated this with the other two apples so he won the race. Melanion won the race, and he was to marry Atalanta.
They had a son named Parthenopaeus. He was one of seven against Thebes. Atalanta and Melanion are said to have been turned into lions by either Zeus or Aphrodite. That is the story of Atalanta.
Extra Information
Atalanta- The brave young woman that this whole thing is about
Melanion- The smart man who married Atalanta
Meleager- The prince
Oeneus- The king
Althea- The queen
Aphrodite- The goddess of love
Zeus- The king of the gods; the god of the sky
Ovid and Apollodorous- The original authors of the story of Atalanta
Sources